


Rent's Paid

by Oreosmack



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Explicit Sexual Content, Financial Issues, Gay, Gay Sex, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Roommates, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:41:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26861557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oreosmack/pseuds/Oreosmack
Summary: Kageyama Tobio finds himself struggling to pay his own bills; working a minimum wage can really make it hard to keep up with life. He feels almost hopeless until his friend recommends a website where you can apply to move into another's home for cheap; but Tobio didn't intend on finding more than just a cheap home when he signed up.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Yachi Hitoka/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 23
Kudos: 220





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here comes another multichapter fic! Ohmergersh! This idea really just hit me out of nowhere and I COULD NOT get it to go away. In all honesty i just wanted to write IwaOiKage smut but still have a lil plot in there lo. Anyway I hope you enjoy the first chap! Please be aware that updates may be slow and I'm never really sure when the next chapter will be up.

Tobio sighed for the umpteenth time as his thumb hovered over his cracked phone screen. The young man was very hesitant about pressing his finger down and dialing the number, just knowing what kind of lecture he would receive when it finished ringing. He had been heavily debating his actions for the past ten minutes; he was slightly scared, as Tobio could already hear his mother’s harsh voice in his head. With a final deep breath he pressed on the screen (perhaps a little harder than he’d intended to) and swiftly brought the phone up to his ear, cringing when his mother picked up on the third ring.

_ “What is it, Tobio?”  _ His mother sounded tired. She must have been working a lot lately, as her boss always seemed to demand. 

“H-hey, mom. How are you?” Tobio’s throat was dry, tight, and he had a difficult time swallowing. Anxiety was already making its slow descent into Tobio’s nerves. A dry, humorless chuckle met Tobio’s question, and his mother rasped out a huffy,  _ “How do you think I’m doing, Tobio?” _

The harshness and exhaustion in her voice made Tobio bite his lip and contemplate just hanging up. With her sour mood, there was no way he could ask for her help; she’d probably just yell at him and curse, say how he was a failure and should be more like his sister. Tobio hated it when his mother did that. It wasn’t that Tobio hated his sister; that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Tobio loved his sister dearly and admired her for chasing her own dream of becoming a hair and makeup artist instead of caving into the demands of their parents for her to pursue a career in their company. It was just that Tobio hated being compared to her, because he  _ knew  _ he wasn’t as good as his sister. Tobio knew that his sister was much better off than he was. And even though it was true, it hurt him to admit it. 

“Sorry, that was a dumb question.” Tobio backpedaled, hoping he could somehow ease his mother’s frustration, even if just a little; a faint glimmer of hope that she’d agree to his request simmering in his chest. “Um, I just had a, uh, pretty big question. I know you’re busy and all, and I really don’t want to bother you--”

_ “Get to the point, Tobio.”  _ His mother snapped, causing him to flinch and swallow dry. With a deep sigh and a clenched fist, Tobio asked, “Could you lend me some money?”

There was a pregnant pause on the other end, and Tobio rushed into explaining himself. “It’s just that this month has been really hard. The restaurant had to close down for a couple of days due to a sanitation complaint, and the days off weren’t paid. I tried to pick up extra hours but my boss said--”

_ “Tobio,”  _ the tone his mother used caused Tobio to shut his mouth and pause, fist still clenched against his thigh.  _ “This is the third time in six months.”  _ His mother stated it so matter of factly, and even though Tobio knew it was true, hearing her say it caused his ears to burn with shame. 

“I know,” Tobio mumbled, throat constricting around his words. “I’m sorry. I really don’t want to ask.”

_ “Then don’t.”  _ Tobio started, eyes wide and jaw slack. Before Tobio could question her, his mother continued.  _ “Miwa has never asked for money,” _ \-- his jaw clenched --  _ “and you really need to start being like her. If you had just listened to me when I told you to go to college instead of chasing that stupid volleyball dream, you wouldn’t have hurt your hand so bad and you’d have a stable job and source of income.”  _ Her voice slowly rose with each word, spitting the word ‘volleyball’ as if it was some nasty food. Tobio felt his heart drop with each passing moment, the pit at the bottom of his stomach growing deeper and deeper. His throat and chest burned with shame and anger, words forming in the back of his throat but never managing to make it to the tip of his tongue. 

Tobio’s mother gave a tired sigh, and her voice was softer around her next words.  _ “I don’t mean to seem heartless, Tobio. But you need to learn how to not depend on others so much. I’m sure Miwa wouldn’t mind giving you some money, but I won’t. Not anymore, Tobio. I love you, but it’s time to grow up.”  _ With that his mother hung up with a small ‘beep’ resounding in his ear. It was a couple of moments before Tobio finally let his hand drop, his phone slipping out of his hand and falling onto the couch cushion. Tobio watched it bounce a couple of times before coming to a stop, the black a stark contrast against the glaring red of his couch.

Numb, confused and angry, Tobio slapped his hands over his face, rubbing vigorously in an attempt to keep the tears that were welling in his eyes at bay. Leaning his head against the back of the couch, Tobio slowly drug his hands from his face, his eyes glaring at the ceiling but never really focusing on one point at all. 

His rent was due in two days, and he still had to pay the back amount on his gas lest they shut it off. He had already received his shut off notice just that morning, the small paper hanging on his door knob causing an ungodly amount of shame. This wasn’t exactly how Tobio had imagined his young adult life to be. In his perfect imagination, he would be the star setter on the national team, hands clapping on his back at every successful set his spikers managed to hit, fans cheering for him in the stands as he sent set after beautiful set. He should have been a star volleyball player by nineteen; working a minimum wage job, many yen in debt and sleeping in the crappiest apartment complex in Tokyo. 

Just a couple years ago, when he had just started highschool, Tobio never thought he would regret playing volleyball in his life. Volleyball had been everything to him; had been since he was a child and was always getting in trouble for running off and playing with Miwa’s volleyballs. Learning to play setter and becoming the best he could had become his passion. His mother and father had never really agreed with it; had even threatened to pull him from the club when his grades began to slip because of them. But that all changed for Tobio when he had injured his hand greatly in one practice game during his last year of highschool, the injury rendering him unable to play setter. 

It was then, while sitting on the bench with his hand in a sling, watching as someone else played  _ his _ position, standing in  _ his  _ place on the court, that Tobio began feeling the small festers of hate for the sport. The sport that had rendered him unable to chase his dreams. Tobio had fallen into a depression after that, his grades slipping so badly to the point that he had to attend extra classes just to graduate. His parents had been so disappointed in him; Tobio could still recall the way their faces fell during the meeting with his principal, the tense silence in the car as they drove him home, and the hours long lecture he received when they finally arrived. Tobio remembers his mom blaming his passion for volleyball, how he had wasted all of his valuable time on something that just ended up hurting him, and at the time, as Tobio sat on the couch, his hopes and dreams slipping away in a single moment, he one hundred percent agreed with his mother. 

For a long time, Tobio stayed at home. He had decided he wasn’t going to attend college as his sister had, something his parents strongly disagreed with. When he had informed them they yelled at him for hours, but Tobio didn’t really listen to them. They finally gave up when they realized they weren’t going to be able to get through to him. His room had become his safe place. Tobio hardly left it, and his parents hardly visited. His mother would come in a few times a week to gather his dirty clothes, sharing very few words with him, and he would only exit it to eat and use the restroom. After months of this, his parents had become tired of him lazing around. They gave him an ultimatum: get a job or move out.

Thus began Tobio’s search for a job. Not many employers were enthused to take in a high school graduate with a hand that could only do so much, so for a while his search seemed pretty fruitless, which didn’t really help with his depression. It made his inferiority complex rear up, the feeling only intensifying when his sister would visit, glowing with success. Tobio’s parents would shower her with compliments, let her know just how proud she made them; and how they wished Tobio had followed in her footsteps. 

Despite the fact that his sister was the golden child, and he felt a small pang of resentment towards her, Miwa was the one who had pulled Tobio from his slump. It was only days before his birthday when his sister knocked on his door. Tobio barely acknowledged her as she entered, coming to stand next to him. Her sweet perfume tickled his nose as she leaned down, slugging an arm over his shoulder.

“Hey kiddo,” she said softly, brushing his bangs from his face with tender fingers. “You need a haircut.” Tobio swatted her hand away, narrowing his eyes at her. Though it was true, he supposed. Since he didn’t get out much, his hair had grown. His bangs now tickled his nose, and he had to brush them back constantly just to see. Miwa smiled and swatted back, her gray eyes soft as she pulled her hand back to rest it on her hip.

“Mom and dad said you’ve been keeping yourself locked up in your room.” There was a reprimanding tone in her voice, one that made Tobio want to shrink back. Being seven years his senior, she always held a type of authority over him; especially since their parents were gone a lot and she was always babysitting him. She became more like a mother to him than their own was.

“They also told me you were looking for a job, but that you haven’t had much luck.” Tobio felt himself glower, his eyes downcast so that he wouldn’t make eye contact with Miwa. In lue of Tobio’s silence, Miwa huffed. She tsked, then patted Tobio’s head. “But your streak of bad luck is over now.”

Tobio whipped his head to his sister, who was giving him a wide smile. She winked as she held up a piece of paper. An application? Tobio reached over and grabbed it gingerly, his eyes roaming over it. The top said  _ Ikigawa Ramen,  _ with many different spaces for his name, age, hours wanted, and et cetera. With wide eyes and shaking hands, he looked to Miwa with expectancy.

“I’m pretty close with the boss of Ikigawa. She comes to my salon a lot to get her hair done, and she just happened to mention that she had a spot open at her place. I recommended you, and she said she’d be happy to hire you. You just have to fill out that application.” As Miwa spoke, Tobio’s face split into a smile that almost mirrored Miwa’s. “It’s only minimum wage, but she said she’d be happy to give you as many hours as you can work--” Before Miwa could finish, Tobio launched himself from his chair, throwing his arms around Miwa and hugging her tight. This was the happiest he’d been in so long. Miwa laughed and patted Tobio’s back, Tobio chanting a chorus of ‘thank yous’ over and over, staring happily over her shoulder at the application that was clenched tightly in his hand. 

Miwa had helped Tobio a lot after that. She had helped him get his license and his car, and she was also the reason that Tobio had a place at all. She was why he’d gotten to where he was now, and Tobio would be forever grateful and indebted to her. A small smile graced Tobio’s lips as he lifted himself from his couch, feeling slightly better but still very stressed. As he padded to his kitchen, he decided he would give Miwa a call later in the day. 

  
  
  


It was a dreary and wet Tuesday morning when Tobio trudged his way into  _ Ikigawa Ramen _ , a fur coat as well as a light jacket layered over his uniform. It was mid January, and it was still incredibly cold; something Tobio resented very much. Miwa would make fun of him many times due to his intolerance of the cold, poking fun at him for being bundled up whereas she would only be wearing a simple jacket. Tobio had started to wonder if she was half demon, or something. The bell rang as he entered, and his coworker, Yamaguchi Tadashi, looked up and smiled.

Yamaguchi was a kind boy. Shorter than Tobio with a soft smile and kind eyes, he was a favorite among the customers due to his relaxed and conversative nature. He had a knack for making the customers feel comfortable, and he was always kind to them, even if they were rude to him. Tobio had admired him for that; there were many times Tobio had to bite his tongue to keep from yelling at customers, and yet placating them had seemed to come naturally to Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi took in Tobio’s appearance with an amused quirk to his lips. “Cold?” he questioned as Tobio pushed open the door to shuffle behind the counter, and he grunted in affirmation. Yamaguchi chuckled and turned to follow Tobio as he made his way to the back, slinking into the office and shedding himself of the extra layers of clothing he had on. Tobio grabbed a blue apron from the hook and tied it onto himself in a mechanical motion; the routine had become second nature to Tobio, so much so that he was confident he could do it with his eyes closed. Tobio was the one who prepared the orders, whereas Yamaguchi took them. It had taken a while and a few messed up dishes for Tobio to finally grasp the hang of making the bowls.

“Busy?” Tobio asked, and Yamaguchi shook his head. “No, actually it’s been abnormally slow. Senna-san left about an hour ago, and no customers have come in since.” Yamaguchi explained as he followed Tobio back to the front, turning and leaning back against the counter as he faced Tobio. Tobio grunted in response, then quirked an eyebrow.

“Senna was the cook this morning, right? You mean he left before I got here?” There was a small bite in Tobio’s words. He didn’t really like the other man; Senna was lazy and only did the bare minimum required, not to mention his personality was not at all compatible with Tobio’s. Yamaguchi nodded, shuffling down a few feet to grab a steaming cup from behind some machinery. Tobio guessed it was hot chocolate since the shorter boy loved the sweet drink so much. Yamaguchi took a sip, then elaborated. “Apparently it’s his day with his daughter, so he took off early to pick her up.” Tobio nodded, though he didn’t really care  _ what  _ the other man had going on, he only cared that he had left Yamaguchi by himself. That was careless and quite frankly rude, considering Yamaguchi didn’t know how to make any of the dishes so if a customer was to come in he would be in quite the predicament. 

Customers began to trickle in, and soon Tobio’s thoughts were swept away as he prepared bowl after bowl. Truth be told, he really wasn’t feeling it today. The cold tended to make him a bit grumpy, especially since all he wanted to do was curl up under a blanket with a cup of steaming coffee to keep his insides warm. Yamaguchi often referred to him as a bear who was grumpy because he couldn’t hibernate.

As Tobio prepared the bowls, he occasionally caught Yamaguchi glancing at him with something akin to worry in his eyes. It made Tobio’s skin pringle with slight irritation, and he really just wanted to know  _ why  _ Yamaguchi kept staring at him. So, later that evening, as they were locking up he confronted his friend. 

“Yamaguchi, is there something you want to ask me?” Yamaguchi seemed to start at Tobio’s question, and a guilty smile tripped his lips at being caught. The greenuette brought a hand to rub at the back of his neck, and sighed at Tobio’s serious stare.

“It’s just… are you okay? Financially?” Tobio blanched. The only person outside of his family that knew of his financial struggles was Yamaguchi, and though Tobio knew Yamaguchi was his friend and always held his best interests at heart, it still made Tobio feel ashamed when his friend brought up his financial status. Tobio avoided eye contact as he responded. “Yes, Miwa lended me the money I needed to get through the month. I’m caught up now.” Yamaguchi’s face lifted with relief, and the smile he gave Tobio was almost as bright as sunshine. 

“Oh, that’s such a relief!” But all too suddenly the smile was gone again. “And what about your apartment?” The question was so out of the ordinary and so sudden that it honestly caught Tobio off guard. “What?” Tobio asked, the word coming out a little more harsh in his surprise. Yamaguchi’s eyes widened and he quickly started elaborating. 

“Well, you told me earlier that your apartment isn’t exactly top notch, and that your dishwasher and clothes washer break down a lot.” Tobio relaxed now that the surprise wore off. Tobio nodded, and Yamaguchi’s shoulders sagged, and he smiled softly. “And, from what you’ve said, that place is pretty expensive for how broken down it is. So I was just wondering if you’d be interested in finding another place where rent is cheaper?”

At the mention of ‘cheaper’ Tobio perked slightly, the idea of living somewhere with cheaper rent but much better utility sounding like absolute heaven. “Is that possible for me?” Tobio asked, and Yamaguchi nodded quickly.

“Yeah! But, it may be a little bit less than desirable… You know how some people will rent stuff out to others, like cars and such?” -- Tobio nodded -- “Well, this website is like that except it’s people who have extra rooms renting them out to those in need.” Tobio quirked a brow, his lips thinning.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit dangerous? That sounds like a good way to get murdered, or worse.” Yamaguchi laughed, nodding. “I see your point! But my friend, Tsukki, you remember him? He found his home that way! Granted, he already knew one of the people renting it out, so I suppose that makes it easier…” 

Tobio sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight, and he had to be up early. “Yamaguchi, I appreciate the offer, but my apartment is fine. And I don’t know how I feel about living with strangers. Seems weird to me.” Yamaguchi’s shoulders seemed to sag, and he looked sad, so Tobio brought him into an awkward one armed embrace. “I really do appreciate it.”

Yamaguchi looked up and the smile was back on his face, so Tobio smiled back. Tobio untied his apron and hung it back on the rack, chatting idly with Yamaguchi as they exited the ramen shop and until they both got into their respective cars. Tobio turned his keys and breathed a sigh of relief as hot air blew directly onto his cold body, turning back to watch as Yamaguchi pulled out of his spot before Tobio followed and exited the lot. 

When Tobio woke the next morning and turned the knob on his bathtub, he jumped as the faucet itself blew from its spot, water rushing into the bathtub uncontrollably. Tobio’s heart sank and he sighed. After he tinkered with it and finally got the water to stop, he sent a text to Yamaguchi.

**Me: what’s the name of that website you were talking about?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter! Yay! I had to write this on my phone and it was A BITCH. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy anyway, and please forgive any mistakes I made. Love you guys!

Tobio's fingertips gently skimmed over the keyboard as he typed in the URL Yamaguchi had sent him the previous morning. He had somehow managed to wriggle his faucet back into its place in the bathtub, but Tobio highly doubted it would stay for long; and as if to spite him more, the drainpipe to his dishwasher decided to finally meet its end and bust, causing water to leak everywhere; so if the broken bathtub hadn't been enough to kickstart his search for a new place  _ that  _ certainly was. Tobio pressed the enter key a little harder than he'd intended to, and he whipped his head side to side to make sure he hadn't caught the attention of anyone in the quiet library. Tobio had decided to use the library for his little search, as the Wi-Fi at his own apartment was about as fast as a slug, and in some weird way using the website seemed much less embarrassing when used on someone else's Wi-Fi: that way, they couldn't trace it back to Tobio. Though that was a semblance of comfort, it would be all for naught if someone actually  _ caught  _ him looking at it, so Tobio tried to keep a low profile, despite the lack of people in the library.

When the website loaded up Tobio was greeted with a rather plain screen. There was no fancy lettering or little pop-ups; in all honesty, it was formatted just like one of those house browsing websites. Tobio figured that shouldn't have been a surprise, considering this  _ was  _ technically a website for homes. Except, there were already others living in these homes, and they could very likely be crazy mass serial killers, or demand he pay his rent with his body instead of yen. Tobio kicked that thought from his head as he flicked his finger over the mouse wheel, scrolling down and down. To his surprise, there were a lot of listings, mostly from older women who were just looking for someone to keep them company. Some were subtle with their intentions, where as others were, uh, blunt and honest. Those made Tobio scrunch his nose in disgust. Damn cougars. Tobio scrunched his shoulders as he continued scrolling through the different options. So far, there were only two pages of listings, and most of them consisted of old ladies looking for younger men and for someone to do chores while they were at work; and if it wasn't that, it was someone who demanded  _ way  _ too much yen a month. Tobio didn't want to be a play thing or a slave, and he certainly didn't have the money to pay those outrageous prices. With a sigh, Tobio clicked the 'x' button and got off the computer, grumbling to himself. Looks like his apartment would have to do for a little longer. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Yamaguchi asked, and when Tobio didn't reply the greenuette bumped against his shoulders, pulling the other boy from his stupor. Tobio jumped with a dumb sounding 'what?' falling from his lips. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes and repeated himself. "I said, are you alright? You've been scrubbing the same bowl for five minutes now. I'm sure it's clean." 

Tobio looked down at the ceramic bowl in his hands, suds of soap lingering on the white glass, but no food to be seen. "Oh, I guess you're right." He murmured, but refused to let himself flush. Yamaguchi shrugged beside him, gently grabbing the bowl from Tobio and dipping it into the rinse water. As he pulled the bowl out and dabbed it with a towel, he once again spoke. "So, did you visit the website?"

Tobio nodded, grabbing another bowl from the pile of dirty dishes on the counter beside the sink. "Yeah, but the only listings were from old ladies who wanted to get their pipes clean, and not the metal ones." Yamaguchi scrunched his nose, bumping his elbow against Tobio's side lightly. "That's gross," he said, snorting. Tobio smiled, feeling his chest lighten slightly. Yamaguchi seemed to have that effect on him, and for not the first time Tobio felt genuinely happy that he had the greenuette's friendship.

"I'm sorry you couldn't find anything," Yamaguchi said gently, his eyes downcast. "I was hoping there would be at least one listing that could be helpful." Tobio didn't like the sad tone in his friend's voice, so he shrugged. "It's alright. I'm going to check everyday to see if there's a new listing. There's got to be someone other than cougars that need a roommate." Tobio said, earning a small laugh from his friend.

"Yeah, that's true. Though, if you can't find any other listings, you  _ could  _ always go for a cougar. You seem to have an affinity for them, if Yashima-san is anything to go by." Yamaguchi drawled, laughing as Tobio flicked soap at him. 

"Don't bring that demon up!" Tobio said, lip curling in disgust. Yashima-san was an older lady who  _ always  _ wanted Tobio to make her ramen, and if he didn't, she'd throw an absolute fit over it. Many times she would slip him a little caramel candy, or a couple of yen, and give him a wink; sometimes even saying she would love to pay him with something other than yen sometime. A throaty laugh left Yamaguchi as he flinched away from Tobio's assault, flicking his own weapon at the taller boy, which so happened to be sanitizer water. Tobio resisted the urge to yelp as a little bit got in his eyes.

"Hey, if any more of that goes in my eyes then I'll go blind!" Tobio said, and Yamaguchi laughed, but lowered his hand.

"Hey! Quit messin' around and get those dishes clean so we can go home!" Their manager called, poking his head into the back with a scowl. Tobio and Yamaguchi made eye contact and giggled quietly when the older man left, but settled into a comfortable silence as they got back to scrubbing old food from the dishes. Yamaguchi was humming softly beside him as he worked, plucking dishes from Tobio as he washed them, rinsed and dried them with a grace that only Yamaguchi could possess.

The greeneutte was the one to break the silence. “I could help, if you want. You could stay with me for a while--” Before he could finish, Tobio cut him off with a harsh shake of his head. “No, Yamaguchi. I appreciate it, but you’ve already got your hands full.”

Yamaguchi lived in an apartment, like Tobio did, except he also shared his apartment with two young kids. Yamaguchi had once opened up to Tobio, explaining how his mother was heavily addicted to drugs, and his younger brother and sister were saddled with him when his mother was taken to prison. Yamaguchi loved his siblings too much to let them end up in foster care, so he signed the custody papers. Following that moment, Yamaguchi picked up a second job, and only had one day off a week, which he used to clean up and do all his shopping. Tobio would not allow himself to trouble the kind hearted man any more than he already was. Tobio would rather stay in his sucky apartment than do that.

Yamaguchi sighed, but dropped the subject. Tobio was stubborn, and trying to convince him to do something he didn’t want to was nearly impossible. Even though they had only known each other for about seven months now, Yamaguchi was able to pick that up about him. They once again fell into a silence, but it wasn’t as gentle and comforting as the last one was. Yamaguchi didn’t speak to him until they had finally finished the dishes and the store was completely closed. Tobio unlocked his car door, and Yamaguchi did the same, but before either he could seat himself Yamaguchi grabbed his elbow gently. Tobio turned to him, and was startled to see how serious the boy looked.

“Please, Kageyama, if you can’t find something soon, come live with me.”

The look in Yamaguchi’s eyes; the gentleness, the way they shined with determination and  _ care  _ left Tobio unable to do anything except nod. A smile graced Yamaguchi’s lips, and with a happy chirp of ‘goodnight’ he hopped into his car and shut the door. Tobio mirrored his actions, albeit a little more slower. The amount of care Yamaguchi showed to him really surprised him, but it also made his chest flutter. When was the last time someone other than Miwa had looked at him with such care and compassion? 

Tobio couldn’t recall. So he decided then that if Yamaguchi really wanted him to lean on him, then he would. But only a little bit. 

* * *

Tobio checked the website the next day. There were no new listings, but a few had been taken down. Tobio flicked the mouse wheel with his finger, his movements getting harsher as his frustration welled up at each listing. Still, there was no normal listing that Tobio could actually afford, and it was really beginning to grate on his nerves. Tobio was really beginning to think this website should be called  _ FindACougar.com  _ rather than  _ FindAHome.com.  _

Tobio's sigh echoed through the empty library, his slumped over form gaining no attention. He let his eyes slide over to the left corner of the screen, reading the time. He inwardly cursed when he realized how late it was, pushing his chair back with a little more force than what was completely necessary. Now standing, Tobio moved the cursor to the 'x' button, his faith in this stupid website beginning to wane when a new listing suddenly popped up. 

Tobio's eyes roved over the listing, and his heart began to race as he read the kanji.

_ Three bedroom house, two baths, no requirements other than rent. Looking for a roommate to help out with bills. ¥37,000 a month.  _

Tobio's eyes widened.  _ ¥37,000!?  _ That was  _ way  _ cheaper than what Tobio was paying now, and his apartment was only a one bedroom and one bath! Tobio's heart leapt as he clicked on the link, his fingers tapping the wooden surface of the desk impatiently. After what seemed like minutes (but was only actually a couple of seconds) the page reloaded to a new one, displaying the details of the listing. 

_ Three bedrooms, two baths. Would appreciate housemates to have a car and a full time job. Located in downtown Tokyo. _

Tobio blanched. Downtown Tokyo was a little farther from the ramen shop than Tobio was used to, but he supposed he could deal with it if it meant getting a new place. Tobio continued reading. 

_ Rent will be ¥37,000 a month. Timely payments would be preferred. If interested, call the number below: _

_ 156-555-7575 _

_ Thank you.  _

Tobio smiled, having  _ finally  _ found one that looked normal  _ and  _ was within his price range. Excitedly, he took his phone out, fingers tapping wildly to put the number in, only to stop, deflating. It was almost ten a clock at night! There was no way Tobio could bother them this late. It would no doubt be weird and unappreciated.

So, with a sigh, Tobio shoved his phone back into his pocket, but not without saving the number to his contacts as  _ House Owner?  _ beforehand. 

The drive home was a happy one, and had Tobio smiling the whole time, some weight finally lifted off his shoulders. 

* * *

Tobio glared down at the shut off notice as if it had just said something that greatly offended him. The glaring red kanji simply stared right back, unintimidated. 

Tobio was confused. Why was his electric being shut off? He'd already paid it and the late fees, so there wasn't a reason why it should be getting shut off. Maybe the payments hadn't been completely processed yet and the notice had been sent before it could process all the way? Tobio didn't know. All he knew was that the weight that had been lifted last night had come back tenfold, and he knew there was no way he could move out without paying that. He'd be sued for sure.

With a heavy sigh he dropped the tiny yellow paper on the couch and reached for his phone. He had more pressing matters to attend to. Opening his messages he tapped on his and Yamaguchi's conversation, sending his friend a quick text.

**Me: I think I found one that looks promising.**

The response was almost instant.

**_Yamaguchi: you did???? Have you called them yet??_ **

Tobio chuckled as he typed out his response. How was it that Yamaguchi seemed so much more excited than he was?

**Me: no, not yet. I'm about to.**

After he hit send, Tobio backed out of the conversation, instead starting a new one with the number he saved last night. No way was he going to call before he confirmed it was them.

Tobio typed a few words, but then backpedaled, typed something new, but erased it. How was he supposed to start a conversation? Tobio had never done this before, and talking to strangers really wasn't his strong suit. That's why his boss put him in the back making bowls, not dealing with customers up front. Finally, Tobio typed something up and hit send before he could change his mind. 

**Me: is this the person that put the ad on** **_FindAHome.com?_ **

After he sent the message Tobio turned off his screen before seeing if they'd responded. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest and his cheeks were burning slightly. The raven walked briskly to his kitchen, setting his phone down on the counter. He decided to shuffle through his cabinets and find a snack. He was kind of hungry. The faint buzzing of his phone against the counter caught his attention, but as he opened it he found that it was just Yamaguchi telling him good luck.

After rummaging through his cabinets and coming up fruitless, Tobio decided he would just snack on a half full bag of chips. He grabbed his phone and sat back down on his couch, grabbing his remote and turning the TV on. Tobio flicked through a few channels, most looking quite boring, before he settled on the nature channel. Tobio actually enjoyed watching nature documentaries. They fascinated and relaxed him. 

_ Monster Bug Wars  _ began playing and soon Tobio was leaning back into his couch, relaxing. The young man was so engrossed in watching as a colony of green ants took down a tree scorpion that he jumped a few centimeters when his phone buzzed against his thigh. 

Tobio opened his phone and his heart began beating a little faster when he saw there was a text from  _ Home Owner?  _ After swallowing the lump in his throat, Tobio tapped on the new message.

**_Home Owner?: It sure is! Are you interested in moving in? (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)_ **

Tobio quirked an eyebrow at the strange face the other sent, a little caught off guard by it, but typed in his response anyway. 

**Me: yes, but this is my first time doing something like this so I'm not sure what to do.**

**_Home Owner?: No worries! It's simple really. Why don't you call and I can discuss it with you?_ **

Tobio swallowed, his nerves picking up. Was he really about to call a stranger and ask to move in? The whole thing sounded so preposterous that Tobio almost wanted to laugh. With a slightly nerve induced flush on his face, Tobio tapped the little phone icon and waited for it to ring. 

It only took two rings before the person picked up, and as soon as Tobio heard his voice he could understand why the other texted the way he did.

_ "Hello, Oikawa Tooru here! Who am I speaking to?"  _ The voice was kind and lilting, reminding Tobio of Yamaguchi; but this voice, rather than calm Tobio, only made his nerves worse. Despite the friendliness, this  _ was  _ still a  _ stranger  _ that Tobio was talking to, and he was a little reluctant to share any information. But he would have to if he wanted a place. 

"Um, my name is Kageyama Tobio. I'm interested in renting a room." Tobio blanched. He sounded so monotonous! He really hoped his nervousness didn't bleed into his voice, but from the chuckle that flew through the receiver, he knew it had. 

_ "Well, Tobio-chan," _ \--  _ Tobio-chan?  _ \--  _ "I'm glad you called! It's great to know someone's interested. But, if you don't mind, could I ask you some questions?" _

Tobio nodded, but after realizing he was on a phone and this Oikawa person couldn't see him, he muttered his affirmation.

_ "Yay! So, how old are you?" _

"Nineteen."

_ "Oh, just a couple years younger than me! Alrighty, what about occupation and driver's license? Do you have both?" _

"Yes."

_ "Good! You have all of the qualifications, but we'll have to meet you in person. When are you free?" _

Hold on, wasn't this going too fast? He was supposed to  _ meet them?  _ Well, it did make sense. If he was going to live with them of course he'd need to meet them first. At least this Oikawa person sounded genuinely nice. 

"Um, I have Saturdays and Tuesdays off." Tobio responded, and there was a low whistle from the other end. 

_ "Ne, it sure would be two days that I have to work! Oh, well, Iwa-chan is off on Tuesday, so he could always meet you. How about I text you the address and you can meet up with him around 12:00? Does that sound good, Tobio-chan?" _

Just how was this guy so comfortable with talking to strangers? He must have the same mutation as Yamaguchi. Tobio took a deep breath and agreed, receiving another 'yay!' from the other end. With a promise to text Tobio the address, Oikawa hung up, and Tobio felt like he could breathe comfortably again. 

The phone buzzed and an address popped up. Tobio stared at it for a while, still trying to process what had just transpired. Tobio opted to ignore the Oikawa person, and instead sent a text to Yamaguchi. 

**Me: I have to meet up with them this next Tuesday.**

**_Yamaguchi: that's awesome!! Good luck buddy!!_ **

Tobio sighed and flopped on his couch,  _ Monster Bug Wars  _ completely forgotten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand Oikawa makes an appearance. Next chapter, Tobio visits iwa chan!

**Author's Note:**

> The tags changed a bit; I wanted to steer this story in a different direction, something soft and fluffy and smutty rather than pure smut lol


End file.
